Buy.com offers the Buffalo 802.11n Wireless Router and Access Point, model no. WCR-GN, for $30.86. A $20 mail-in rebate cuts it to $10.86. It features four Ethernet ports, push-button setup with AirStation One-Touch Secure System (AOSS), and support for WEP, WPA2-PSK, and WPA-PSK encryption. Rebate expires September 30.LINKRebate LINK

Something not clear in the specs is that this router, even in bridge mode, can have up to 4 SSID's and each can optionally be isolated from the rest of the LAN. Each SSID supports different security protocols (two that does them all, one that is WPA only, one that is WEP only). Also, in bridge mode, the WAN port becomes the 5th LAN port. To use as a repeater, you set it to bridge mode and change the SSID to the same as your main router. To create "separate networks", use different SSID's and turn on "separate" option when configuring the SSID.

I got mine from Amazon for the same price a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice little router and very compact. Only problems I had was I needed to use IE, as Firefox 14 shows only blank pages after the home page, the setup wizard on the CD wouldn't work for me, and getting used to the web interface. I also had some problems w/Chrome the first time, but not now.

netadmin

Geeky member

posted: Aug. 9, 2012 @ 10:23a

Thx OP - in for one. As JacquesTutite mentioned, this is supported by an experimental version of dd-wrt. I just needed a basic router for a relative and this is the cheapest one.

Newegg is a bit more.1. A few inexpensive routers (under maybe $80) have the multiple SSID feature, certainly none in this price range. I like it because guests and kids can each use different SSID's and be isolated from every other network.2. AC adapter is 100-240v in

cpusrvc said: 1. A few inexpensive routers (under maybe $80) have the multiple SSID feature, certainly none in this price range. I like it because guests and kids can use different SSID's and be isolated from my network.2. AC adapter is 100-240v in

Thanks. My main router can do guest, but that's it. This can name them anything. I might setup a free wifi as it's good for karma. Is a separate SSID more secure than WPA2?

I'm in as I like the 220V option. I need an N bridge to replace a G one.

Thanks for the tax play. Tiger's cart isn't designed properly. I priced an additional one in another tab, but that put through the order with that additional one even though this isn't what I agreed to in the checkout window. Trust fate or yell at Tiger?

collinong

Senior Member

posted: Aug. 9, 2012 @ 3:45p

can this unit but used in a multiple access point configuration with central router assigning IP's via dhcp? The access points would need offer up multiple SSIDs with one public one not having access to anything on the network but internet and another allowing access to network servers and services. Been looking for something that would offer up multiple SSID and VLANs but most seem to only do that in a solo config and not in a multiple access point system.

bobley said: cpusrvc said: 1. A few inexpensive routers (under maybe $80) have the multiple SSID feature, certainly none in this price range. I like it because guests and kids can use different SSID's and be isolated from my network.2. AC adapter is 100-240v in

Thanks. My main router can do guest, but that's it. This can name them anything. I might setup a free wifi as it's good for karma. Is a separate SSID more secure than WPA2?

I'm in as I like the 220V option. I need an N bridge to replace a G one.

Can this bridge multiple SSIDs at once?Think of separate SSID's as separate cables each with a name on it (guest, kids, etc.). Think of WPA/WPA2/WEP as just different ways of encoding the wireless data between the computer and router, where the receiver converts it back to unencrypted data. Any SSID can utilize any encoding (encryption), as long as the manufacturer programs it that way. If you want to prevent someone on 1 SSID from connection to another computer, they should be on different SSID's with the option "separate" turned on.

Louclaire

New Member

posted: Aug. 9, 2012 @ 3:46p

Thanks op, just picked this up.

cpusrvc

Senior Member - 1K

posted: Aug. 9, 2012 @ 4:01p

collinong said: can this unit but used in a multiple access point configuration with central router assigning IP's via dhcp? The access points would need offer up multiple SSIDs with one public one not having access to anything on the network but internet and another allowing access to network servers and services. Been looking for something that would offer up multiple SSID and VLANs but most seem to only do that in a solo config and not in a multiple access point system.

You can do this in wireless bridge mode and give them all the same SSID so they become repeaters and you can move computers staying on the same network. I think you should be able to do this wired by configuring each unit as an access point. On "slave" units, turn off DHCP, plug main router LAN port to slave LAN port. I'd also suggest changing slave units LAN IP address to the same subnet as the main, so you can access them without changing the computer's IP. These units default to 192.168.11.1 in router mode and 192.168.11.100 in bridge mode. If your main router is 192.168.1.1, you might want to make the slaves 192.168.1.250 thru -254. As an AP, I would guess that the VLAN would be controlled by the main router, since AP's are basically transparent to data flow.

Thanks for the tax play. Tiger's cart isn't designed properly. I priced an additional one in another tab, but that put through the order with that additional one even though this isn't what I agreed to in the checkout window. Trust fate or yell at Tiger?Could you use an extra one for $10? If so, don't worry.

There's a limit of 5 on the rebate. Nice.

exbat

Senior Member - 1K

posted: Aug. 9, 2012 @ 5:24p

Looks like Buy.com sold out, now listing TD as seller, at $29.99 with $2.99 shipping.

It only has one transmit and one receive antenna. So it's only single-stream 802.11n and limited to 150mbps. However, I have found that the difference between a 150mbps and 300mbps link speed is not much in terms of real-world usage.

Vincent said: It only has one transmit and one receive antenna. So it's only single-stream 802.11n and limited to 150mbps. However, I have found that the difference between a 150mbps and 300mbps link speed is not much in terms of real-world usage.

You can do this in wireless bridge mode and give them all the same SSID so they become repeaters and you can move computers staying on the same network. I think you should be able to do this wired by configuring each unit as an access point. On "slave" units, turn off DHCP, plug main router LAN port to slave LAN port. I'd also suggest changing slave units LAN IP address to the same subnet as the main, so you can access them without changing the computer's IP. These units default to 192.168.11.1 in router mode and 192.168.11.100 in bridge mode. If your main router is 192.168.1.1, you might want to make the slaves 192.168.1.250 thru -254. As an AP, I would guess that the VLAN would be controlled by the main router, since AP's are basically transparent to data flow.

thanks for the reply. still wondering about one aspect of this scenario: if the access points are configured with multiple SSID with different access rights on each SSID, will it still work?

i can see the issue as: how would the central router know with which SSID a client has connected to an access point and then configure access rights accordingly? if the access point lets a client on, for all the central router knows, it is on the network and doesn't know any difference, right?

also, would roaming work from access point to access point given the multiple SSID?

You can do this in wireless bridge mode and give them all the same SSID so they become repeaters and you can move computers staying on the same network. I think you should be able to do this wired by configuring each unit as an access point. On "slave" units, turn off DHCP, plug main router LAN port to slave LAN port. I'd also suggest changing slave units LAN IP address to the same subnet as the main, so you can access them without changing the computer's IP. These units default to 192.168.11.1 in router mode and 192.168.11.100 in bridge mode. If your main router is 192.168.1.1, you might want to make the slaves 192.168.1.250 thru -254. As an AP, I would guess that the VLAN would be controlled by the main router, since AP's are basically transparent to data flow.

thanks for the reply. still wondering about one aspect of this scenario: if the access points are configured with multiple SSID with different access rights on each SSID, will it still work?

i can see the issue as: how would the central router know with which SSID a client has connected to an access point and then configure access rights accordingly? if the access point lets a client on, for all the central router knows, it is on the network and doesn't know any difference, right?

also, would roaming work from access point to access point given the multiple SSID?I believe that roaming can only be accomplished using the same SSID on all the AP's. Before it connects to a different AP, it must disconnect from its current one. It's up to the computer to start the connection process with an AP/router. If it could roam among different SSID's, it would try to connect to many different networks in an office building, and that wouldn't work.

The main router will know which SSID issued a request, just as a router knows which attached computer issues a request.

You can do this in wireless bridge mode and give them all the same SSID so they become repeaters and you can move computers staying on the same network. I think you should be able to do this wired by configuring each unit as an access point. On "slave" units, turn off DHCP, plug main router LAN port to slave LAN port. I'd also suggest changing slave units LAN IP address to the same subnet as the main, so you can access them without changing the computer's IP. These units default to 192.168.11.1 in router mode and 192.168.11.100 in bridge mode. If your main router is 192.168.1.1, you might want to make the slaves 192.168.1.250 thru -254. As an AP, I would guess that the VLAN would be controlled by the main router, since AP's are basically transparent to data flow.

thanks for the reply. still wondering about one aspect of this scenario: if the access points are configured with multiple SSID with different access rights on each SSID, will it still work?

i can see the issue as: how would the central router know with which SSID a client has connected to an access point and then configure access rights accordingly? if the access point lets a client on, for all the central router knows, it is on the network and doesn't know any difference, right?

also, would roaming work from access point to access point given the multiple SSID?I believe that roaming can only be accomplished using the same SSID on all the AP's. Before it connects to a different AP, it must disconnect from its current one. It's up to the computer to start the connection process with an AP/router. If it could roam among different SSID's, it would try to connect to many different networks in an office building, and that wouldn't work.

sorry if i wasn't clear. all the satellite access points would be configured with the same identical set of multiple SSID's and passwords, not different SSID's or passwords for each access point.

The main router will know which SSID issued a request, just as a router knows which attached computer issues a request.

I could see how this could work within a single router/access point combo unit. client attaches to an SSID. the program handling that request checks the configuration to see if particular access rights are set up for the SSID, and, if so, passes the rights info to the router part of the same program, which configures its routing tables or vlan accordingly. it works because the same program on same cpu is running everything on the routing and access point combo unit.

Now, separate those two pieces. Router is one unit and Access Point is another unit. Both units are the same models, but the access points have the DHCP feature turned off. When a client attaches to an SSID, how does the access point tell the router over CAT5 wire that this client should be processed with particular access rights? Since the client is attached to the access point, then the access point is attached to the router via ethernet, it would seem like the client would appear to the router unit as if it were attached to the router directly via cable, and no SSID-based access right restrictions would apply.

I would love to be wrong on this because it would be great to be able to set up a distributed system using standard units like this one. anybody able to try it?

You can do this in wireless bridge mode and give them all the same SSID so they become repeaters and you can move computers staying on the same network. I think you should be able to do this wired by configuring each unit as an access point. On "slave" units, turn off DHCP, plug main router LAN port to slave LAN port. I'd also suggest changing slave units LAN IP address to the same subnet as the main, so you can access them without changing the computer's IP. These units default to 192.168.11.1 in router mode and 192.168.11.100 in bridge mode. If your main router is 192.168.1.1, you might want to make the slaves 192.168.1.250 thru -254. As an AP, I would guess that the VLAN would be controlled by the main router, since AP's are basically transparent to data flow.

thanks for the reply. still wondering about one aspect of this scenario: if the access points are configured with multiple SSID with different access rights on each SSID, will it still work?

i can see the issue as: how would the central router know with which SSID a client has connected to an access point and then configure access rights accordingly? if the access point lets a client on, for all the central router knows, it is on the network and doesn't know any difference, right?

also, would roaming work from access point to access point given the multiple SSID?I believe that roaming can only be accomplished using the same SSID on all the AP's. Before it connects to a different AP, it must disconnect from its current one. It's up to the computer to start the connection process with an AP/router. If it could roam among different SSID's, it would try to connect to many different networks in an office building, and that wouldn't work.

sorry if i wasn't clear. all the satellite access points would be configured with the same identical set of multiple SSID's and passwords, not different SSID's or passwords for each access point.

The main router will know which SSID issued a request, just as a router knows which attached computer issues a request.

I could see how this could work within a single router/access point combo unit. client attaches to an SSID. the program handling that request checks the configuration to see if particular access rights are set up for the SSID, and, if so, passes the rights info to the router part of the same program, which configures its routing tables or vlan accordingly. it works because the same program on same cpu is running everything on the routing and access point combo unit.

Now, separate those two pieces. Router is one unit and Access Point is another unit. Both units are the same models, but the access points have the DHCP feature turned off. When a client attaches to an SSID, how does the access point tell the router over CAT5 wire that this client should be processed with particular access rights? Since the client is attached to the access point, then the access point is attached to the router via ethernet, it would seem like the client would appear to the router unit as if it were attached to the router directly via cable, and no SSID-based access right restrictions would apply.

I would love to be wrong on this because it would be great to be able to set up a distributed system using standard units like this one. anybody able to try it?I have not personally set up this configuration for a network. The router manual says you can set the unit up as wireless repeater by setting the SSID the same as the main router and then computers can roam between repeaters. If DHCP is off, and its wired to the main router, then it becomes an access point. I'm not sure what you mean by "processed with particular access rights". Are you referring the password to connect to the SSID? As a repeater or an AP, the unit is basically transparent and passes everything to/from the router, much like connecting a LAN switch to a router LAN port to expand the number of wired connections it can handle. As I see it, you are essentially adding multiple AP's to the router just as if you added wired multiple LAN switches. I don't know why it wouldn't work, but I can't say for sure. If it doesn't work, just set them up as wireless repeaters to accomplish the same thing. Good luck, sounds like an interesting project.

colombo3

Addicted Member

posted: Aug. 18, 2012 @ 11:25p

Has anyone successfully flashed this unit yet? I ordered one from Amazon, and was hoping to flash it to dd-wrt as I am at least semi-familiar with that firmware (I have a Linksys router which I successfully flashed a few months ago).

I tried the "Flashing with TFTP" method (both using the unplug/plug method to reboot the router and the restart from it's web interface), and can't get it done.dd_wrt.com's website says you CAN'T do an initial flash on these from the router's own web interface, so I'm stuck.

If any has done this easily and has any tips it would be greatly appreciated!Thanks!

{EDIT} I perhaps should have mentioned that I am attempting to flash it using a Windows XP computer. I can try from a Windows 7 laptop if need be.

JacquesTutite said: The DD-WRT website says that this will work with minimum version v24 SP2 - build 18024 - 20111220:

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